Ultimately, it is usually perfectly safe for planes to fly in storms. Today's aircraft, especially big passenger airplanes, are designed to deal with lightning strikes, rain, and other conditions. Plus, pilots haveextensive training in how to handle storms and can be trusted to make the right call.

Modern commercial aircraft are extraordinarily safe when flying in or near thunderstorms, though pilots go to great lengths to avoid the most intense parts of a storm cell. Every plane is designed to act as a Faraday Cage, meaning that if it is struck by lightning—which happens on average once per year per aircraft—the electrical charge stays on the outer skin and is discharged into the air without harming the passengers or electronics. Pilots use high-tech weather radar to identify "cells" of heavy rain, hail, and extreme turbulence, often altering their course by 20 to 50 miles to navigate around them. While rain itself is not a threat, the high winds (wind shear) associated with thunderstorms can make takeoff and landing dangerous, which is why airports often issue a "ground handling ban" during active lightning strikes nearby to protect ground crew and ensure operational safety.